Self-measuring milk dispenser



Aug. 4, 1953 H. T. COATES -SELFMEASURING MILK DISPENSER Filed Dec. 14, 41951 2 Sheets-Sheet l HFA/Ry 7, Cores ATT RNEY Aug. 4, 1953.

H. T.' COATES lSELF-MEASURING MILK DISPENSER Filed Dec. 14, '1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR /EMQY T 604755 Patented Aug. 4, 1:953

2,647,719 *SliILF-MEASURING MILK DISPENSER Henry T. Coates, Clinton, N. J., assignor to Monitor Process Corporation, corporation of New Jersey Jersey City, N. J., a

Application December 14, 1951, Serial N o. 261,684

Claims. (Cl. 249-63) This invention relates to apparatus'y for dispensing milk from a well known-and conventional milk delivery can where contained in a dispensing cabinet and the object of the invention is to insure the uniform quantity of milk to be dispensed by the glassful at each operation, irrespective of the amount of the hydrostatic head of the milk in the can.

Attempts have been heretofore made to accomplish this result and the present invention is an improvement upon prior devices whereby more satisfactory and er'cient operation is obtained with unfailing uniformity of results.

In accordance with the present invention, the milk is dispensed through a milk delivery tube extending through theside Wall of the can and through the wall of' a .cabinet in which the can is normally maintained in refrigerated condition. The delivery tube is valved and the valve thereof is adapted to be controlled by valve operating mechanism mounted in the door of the cabinet. Heretofore that valve has been usually manually controlled. In accordance with the present invention, it is operated by a solenoid which is included in an electrical system, either manually or coin controlled or both, so thatthe solenoid may be actuated in a predetermined manner to open the valve and permit milk to flow until a predetermined quantity of milk is delivered into a glass. When such predetermined quantity has been delivered, the weight of the glass and contents serve, according to the present invention, toy further control the electrical system to deenergize the solenoid and effect the closing of the valve so that the milk is shut off.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a milk dispensing cabinet with a portion of the wall and door broken away to better show the milk dispensing apparatus of the present invention and its associated wiring.

Figure 2 is a fragmental view showing the mechanism for supporting the glass in a position to receive the milk to be dispensed and for operating certain adjuncts of the electrical system. l

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the structure shownin Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

In Figure l of the drawings I have shown a conventional milk delivery can I positioned within a cabinet 2 with a hinged door 3. The can I is of the side delivery type illustrated in William Tamminga Patent No. 2,186,083, of January 9, 1950, and, as such, is provided with a discharge tube l projecting through an opening in the door 3 for cooperation with valve control means 5 mounted on the door 3. The valve control mean-s includes an operating lever 52 which, when, operated, acts upon an operating arm 46 to move a slide valve, positioned in the discharge tube, to unseal a discharge port 30 in the tube, so that milk may flow from the can. Mounted on the door 3 above the valve control mechanism 5 is a solenoid I having a plunger 8 and this plunger is connected by a link I to a bell crank II which in turn is connected to the operating lever 52. When the solenoid is energized'and its plunger 8 elevated, the slide valve will be operated to permit milk to iiow from the port 30.

Positioned below the valve control mean-s 5 and also mounted on the door 3 is a mount I4 which may conveniently be in the form of a cast# ing with laterallyr extending wings I5 vertically slotted at I6 as shown in Figure 3. Screws I'I are passed through the slots and threaded into the door to adjustably secure the mount thereto. The purpose of this adjustment is to arrange for glasses of different height or diameter, for it is desirable that the glass G be fairly close to the port 30. y f

The mount I4, as shown in Figure 3, carries, near its lower extremity, a transverse pin I8 and on this pin is supported a pivoted bracket I9. One end of this bracket has a laterally extending lug r2li with a vertical perforation to receive the lower end of a glass holder 2| in the form of a wire frame. The upper end of the frame has a circular coil 22 to receive and support a glass G, while the lower end of the frame projects into the hole in the lug 20 so that the frame may be swung from the dotted line position of Figure 3 to the full line position thereof and vice versa. The frame is also provided with an offset 23 which acts as a stop to engage the mount I4v as the glass is swung into position to receive milk from the port 30 and thus properly locate the glass below the port.

The bracket I9 is provided at its other lateral edge with an upstanding arm 24, the upper end of which is bifurcated at 25. Through this bifurcation extends an adjusting stud 26, one end ofwhi'ch is 'threaded into the'mount, as shown at 2'| in Figure 2, while the other end is threaded to receive an adjusting nut 28. A coil spring 28 encircles the stud and by regulating the nut 28, the spring 20 may be placed under the compression desired to yield as the milk flows into the glass and thus permit tilting of the bracket. When the glass has received a predetermined quantity of milk and the bracket has been correspondingly tilted, the Valve will be shut off as presently explained. It will thus appear that the amount of milk to be dispensed at any one operation may be controlled by regulation of the nut 28 and, since the operation of the spring will not vary for long periods of time and operation, it will be apparent that a uniform quantity of milk will be dispensed throughout such period.

In order to accomplish the results which I have described, it is of course necessary to electrically energize the solenoid to initiate the flow of milk and to subsequently die-energize the solenoid after a predetermined quantity of milk has been dispensed.

In the construction shown the energizing of the solenoid 1 will elevate the plunger and open the valve while a spring (indicated at 55 in Tarnminga Patent No. 2,186,083) will return the parts to initial condition and close the Valve when the solenoid is de-energized. These operations are carried out by the electrical system which will next be described. While the system may be either wholly coin controlled or Wholly manually controlled or jointly coin and manually controlled, the drawings illustrate the latter arrangement.

By reerence to Figure 1, current is fed from appropriate mains through a negative lead to a coin controlled switch |0| which may be oi any conventional character such, for example, as illustrated in my copending application, Serial No. 209,767, filed February 7, 1951, now abandoned. In Figure l, the coin slot is shown at |02 and the coin at |03. From the coin switch 10|, the lead |00 extends to a normally open push button switch |04 and from thence to one terminal of A positive lead |05 extends from a suitable source to a normally closed master switch |06 of the microtype and emerges therefrom to connect at a junction point |01 with two separate electrical leads |08 and |09. The lead |08 connects with the other terminal of the solenoid while the lead |09 connects with the lead i08 between the push button |04 and the solenoid terminal and this lead |09 includes a magnetically operated detent ||0 oi the type shown in Figure 4.

It will also be noted that the lead |00 is connected between the push button and the solenoid with a wire including a momentary impulse counter ||2 and extending to the positive lead |05. A normally open microtype switch ||3 is connected across the lead |00 and the wire in a manner to shunt the push button switch. This microswitch has an operating arm ||4 which, in practice at all times lies above a projection ||5 of the bell crank lever When the solenoid is energized and the bell crank lifted to open the valve, the normally open microswitch ||3 will be closed and will remain closed as long as the solenoid is energized and its plunger elevated.

The magnetically operated detent ||0 is shown in section in Figure 4. It includes an appropriate casing in which is positioned an electromagnet having a fixed core HB. This magnet has an armature which carries a detent pin ||8 urged by a spring I9 to normally extend through and beyond a perforation in the end of the casing ||0. This pin is so located that, when the arm 24 of the glass holding bracket is in idle retracted position, the pin |8 will project into a socket |9 in the inner side of the arm 24, as clearly shown in Figure 4, so as to lock the arm and bracket in the retracted position shown in full lines in Figure 2. If a glass G is placed in the holder 2|, it Will have no effect whatsoever upon the apparatus because the detent pin ||8 normally locks the parts in inoperative condition.

This condition will persist until a coin is deposited in the machine and the push button pressed. The deposit of the coin will complete the lead. |00 at the coin switch, but the circuit will not be completed to the solenoid until the push button |04 is pressed. When this is done, current flows through the lead |00 to the solenoid and returns to source through the lead |05, through the lead |08 and normally closed switch |06. As soon as the solenoid 'i is energized, the valve is opened and milk will flow into the glass G supported in the holder beneath the port 30.

Simultaneously with the feed of current through the solenoid, current will flow through the circuit |09 to energize the detent control magnet H6 so that the detent pin ||8 will be withdrawn and the glass holding bracket will be permitted to tilt in opposition to the action of the spring 29. Moreover, as soon as the push button is pressed and the solenoid elevated, such elevation will cause the projection ||5 to act upon the operating arm ||4 of the normally open microswitch ||3 and, as a result, the push button will be shunted so that, even though the operators finger is removed from the button, current will continue to now through the solenoid and through the counter l2 back to source.

These conditions will persist and the milk will continue to flow until a predetermined quantity of milk has been deposited in a glass. At that time, a pin |20 on the arm 24 will move the operating arm |2| of the normally closed microswitch |06 into a position to break the circuit at this point. As a result, the solenoid will be deenergized, the milk outlet port will be sealed, and the microswitch ||3 will automatically open. The purchaser may then swing the filled glass from beneath the valve operating mechanism and lift it from the machine. In so doing the holder 2| will be moved from the dotted line position of Figure 3 to the full line position thereof and a protecting shield |22 on the holder moved into a position over the push button so that the push button will not again be pushed until the next glass has been inserted into the holder and moved into a position to receive milk from the port 30.

In addition to or as a substitute for the shield |22 the circuit |05 may have therein a normally open switch |23 adapted to be closed by engagement of the glass holder ring 22 with a tail |24 of this switch, when the glass holder is swung to bring the glass into position to receive milk. The switch |23 should be normally held open by a suitable spring so that, when the glass is moved out of milk receiving position, this switch will automatically open and preclude operation of the parts until the glass is again in milk receiving position.

As soon as the glass has been removed from the holder by the purchaser, the spring 29 will return the .bracket I9 and its arm 24 into normally inactive position shown in full lines in U Figure 2 and, as the arm swings back into place, the free end of the arm will have a camming effect upon the detent pin H8 causing it to be momentarily retracted until the pin is alined with the socket H9 and the re-locking of the .arm is accomplished. In the meantime the coin switch has been tripped to release the coin in any suitable manner as, for example, in my copending application, above identified, so that the parts of the machine are left ready to dispense the next glass of milk.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that the structure which I have described is relatively simple and positive in its operation. In fact it is simple and more positive than the arrangement described in my copending application and is therefore very desirable from a commercial standpoint.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form but the invention is to be understood as` fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for dispersing a given quantity of milk through a valve, comprising a valve operating solenoid, an electric circuit for energizing the solenoid to open the valve, said circuit including the solenoid, a push button and a normally closed master switch, a maintaining circuit shunting the push button and including a normally yopen maintaining switch, means for closing the maintaining switch when the solenoid is energized to keep the solenoid energized until the master switch is opened, a pivoted glass holder having means to open the master switch when tilted to a predetermined angle, and a spring opposing the tilting of the holder t-o such angle until a predetermined quantity of milk has been deposited in the glass.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a detent for locking the holder against pivotal movement until the solenoid is energized.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a coin operated switch is included in circuit with the solenoid.

4. An apparatus for dispensing a given quantity of milk through a valve comprising: a solenoid for operating the valve, a solenoid controlling circuit including a push Ibutton and a master switch, a shunt circuit across the push button including a shunting switch with means to close the shunting switch when the solenoid is energized, a pivoted glass holder for supporting a glass in retracted position to receive the milk, a detent for normally locking the glass holder in retracted position, a. magnet included in circuit with the solenoid and simultaneously energized therewith to retract the detent when the solenoid is energized, resilient means biasing the glass holder against the weight of the milk and glass, and operative connections between the glass holder and the master switch to open said switch and de-energize the solenoid when the glass is tilted to a predetermined maximum.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient means comprises a spring adjustable by a regulating nut to 'control the amount of milk required to break the circuit.

HENRY T. COATES.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

